I  p 

THE 

MORAVIAN  EASTER. 

SALEM,  NORTH  CAROLINA. 


BY  J.   H.   CLEWELL,  PH.  D. 


THREE  EVENTS. 

In  April,  1732,  an  early  passer-by  would  have 
noted  ~  little  company  gathered  on  the  Hutberg, 
in  Saxony.  On  this  hill  was  located  the  bury- 
ing ground,  or  "  God's  Acre,"  as  it  was  called 
by  the  people  in  the  newly  founded  town.  The 
date  was  April  13,  the  hour  between  3  and  4 
o'clock  in  the  morning.  They  wrere  engaged 
m  singing  hyms,  and,  after  spending  an  hour 
and  a  half  in  this  manner  the  company  returned 
to  the  church  in  the  village  and  concluded  the 
somewhat  unusual  service  of  the  early  Easter 
morning. 

Twenty-eight  years  later,  April  6,  1760,  a 
similar  company  could  have  been  seen  on  a 

i  hilltop  in  North  Carolina,  the  object  being  the 
same, but  the  surroundings  were  vastly  different. 

'  This  was  at  Bethabara,  6  miles  north  of  the 

r* 

?  (0 


2 


present  town  of  Salem,  and  5000  miles  away  from 
Herrnhut,  where  the  first  service  was  held. 
The  little  six-year  old  town  was  beset  with  In- 
dians. Guards  were  stationed,  day  and  night, 
on  the  hilltop,  and  even  while  the  service  was 
in  progress,  these  same  sentinels,  with  their 
guns  in  hand,  scanned  the  surrounding  country 
to  detect  the  first  indication  of  approaching  dan- 
ger. Then,  too,  there  were  many  newly-made 
graves.  Seidel  had  died  that  y ear  ;  Kalberlahn 
had  been  taken  to  his  last  resting-place  ;  not 
less  than  twelve  of  the  most  useful  men  and 
women  of  the  little  colony  had  died  as  the  result 
of  a  dreadful  disease.  Refugees  were  gathered 
in  a  camp  near  the  mill  for  mutual  protection 
against  the  Indians.  A  company  of  soldiers  on 
Easter  Sunday  stacked  arms  outside  the  church 
and  listened  to  an  earnest  sermon  from  the 
godly  Spangenberg.  These  are  a  few  of  the 
circumstances.  On  this  same  day,  before  sun- 
rise, a  company  of  150  men  and  women,  mem- 
bers and  strangers,  filed  up  the  hillside  to  the 
new  "Hutberg"  as  they  termed  their  grave- 
yard, and  united  in  the  same  hymns  and  con- 
fessions heard  in  far-away  Saxony,  28  years 
before. 

One  hundred  and  forty-one  years  pass,  and 
early  on  the  morning  of  April  7,  1901,  a  com- 


3 


pany  is  seen  in  the  Salem  graveyard  in  the 
early  dawn  of  a  lovely  spring  morning.  This 
again  differs  widely  in  circumstances  from  the 
other  two  occasions.  The  first  company  was  a 
small  band  of  refugees  from  Bohemia  and  Mo- 
ravia, struggling  in  the  midst  of  the  difficulties 
of  the  reorganization  of  a  church  once  power- 
ful, but  almost  crushed  by  persecution.  The 
second  occasion  was  in  the  midst  of  the  great 
Indian  war,  and  again  the  numbers  were  small. 
The  third  occasion,  nearly  two  centuries  after 
the  first,  was  the  gathering  together  of  between 
four  and  five  thousand  people  in  a  strong  and 
well-organized  congregation  and  with  peace 
and  prosperity  about  them.  Diverse  as  were 
these  circumstances,  we  find  the  same  under- 
lying object,  the  same  hymns,  the  same  confes- 
sion of  faith,  the  same  hope  in  the  great  c ruths 
contained  therein.  There  must  be  some  special 
power  to  hold  this  custom,  practically  unchang- 
ed, in  such  love  and  esteem  from  generation  to 
generation,  and  from  century  to  century. 

WHAT  IS  THIS  POWER  ? 

The  answer  to  the  question  calls  for  a  careful 
study  of  the  circumstances  surrounding  the  re- 
organized Moravian  Church  in  Saxony,  in  1732, 


4 


when  the  present  method  of  celebrating  Easter 
was  introduced. 

The  German  Lutheran  Church  was  the  State 
Church  in  Saxony.  Spiritual  life  was  at  a  low 
ebb  at  that  time.  The  learned  men  were  en- 
gaged in  controversies  which  led  to  rationalism, 
and  the  common  people  were  as  * 'sheep  with- 
out a  shepherd "  Real,  true,  warm  spiritual 
life  was  seldom  to  be  found,  all  was  formalism, 
which  did  not  supply  the  longings  of  the  heart. 

Men  of  the  class  to  which  Zinzendorf,  Span- 
genberg  and  Christian  David  belonged  were  in- 
tensely spiritual.  Heart  religion  was  dearer  to 
them  than  anything  else  in  life.  They  found  in 
Jesus  Christ  the  fulfilment  of  their  longings. 
They  were  not  satisfied  with  a  formal  Saviour 
only.  Jesus  Christ  was  a  personal  Saviour. 
His  words  and  his  example  were  to  them  for  the 
guidance  of  each  person  as  an  individual,  hence 
the  Christ  religion  became  the  heart  and  center 
of  their  belief.  They  delighted  in  the  celebra- 
tion of  the  birth  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  around 
the  Christmas  season  the  brightest  and  happiest 
services  were  grouped. 

Around  the  Passion  Week  were  gathered 
other  services  which  were  not  less  real  and  ef- 
fective, as  the  sufferings  of  the  Saviour  were 
followed  step  by  step,  on  the  very  days  and 


SALEM  MORAVIAN  CHURCH 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2014 


https://archive.org/details/moravianeastersaOOclew 


5 


often  the  very  hours  of  the  anniversary  of  the 
events.  In  like  manner  when  the  grand  climax 
in  the  plan  of  salvation  was  reached,  when 
Christ's  resurrection  from  the  dead  was  cele- 
brated these  pious  Moravian  brethren  sought  to 
devise  a  simple  but  effective  manner  of  so  doing 
which  would  impress  young  and  old,  and  which 
would  be  like  the  opening  of  a  door  to  let  into 
mind  and  heart  the  sunlight  of  the  resurrection 
truth.  The  form  selected  was  particularly  felic- 
itous as  time  has  demonstrated. 

The  Easter  service  is  a  two-fold  service  in  its 
nature,  and  both  features  are  essential.  The 
form  is  one  feature,  the  truth  introduced  by  the 
form  is  the  other.  Separate  these  two,  and  the 
result  is  not  the  same  thing.  Examine  first  the 
form.  Suppose  a  month  after  Easter  a  sunrise 
service  should  be  appointed  for  the  Salem 
graveyard.  Possibly  a  few  score  of  people 
would  attend.  The  form  alone  would  not  attract 
a  large  company.  On  the  other  hand  suppose 
a  sermon  on  the  resurrection  truth  be  announced. 
The  sermon  might  be  most  carefully  written 
and  most  earnestly  delivered,  still  it  is  probable 
that  more  than  a  well-filled  church  could  not 
be  expected,  while  at  the  sunrise  Easter  morn- 
ing service  the  congregation  assembled  would 
fill  the  church  half  a  dozen  times.  Why  is  this  ? 


6 


Whence  the  power  ?  The  answer  can  be  only 
one  thing.  Our  pious  forefathers  devised  a 
form  of  service  emphasizing  the  greatest  event 
which  has  ever  occurred  on  our  earth,  and  thus 
made  the  great  truth  so  simple  and  impressive 
that  young  and  old,  learned  and  ignorant  could 
appreciate  it,  yet  it  magnified  the  truth  in  a 
most  striking  manner.  Such  a  combination  of 
strength  and  simplicity,  of  that  which  every  one 
can  grasp,  and  yet  which  opens  up  a  vista  so 
deep  and  far-reaching  that  the  wisest  contem- 
plate the  prospect  with  awe  and  wonder,  such  a 
happy  combination  of  form  and  truth  is  seldom 
found. 

This  is  the  two-fold  power  which  has  caused 
the  Easter  services  of  the  Moravian  Church  to 
outlast  the  centuries.  A  unique  and  attractive 
form,  united  with  the  most  stupendous  truth  the 
mind  can  contemplate.  This  it  is  which  causes 
the  universal  love  for  the  Easter  services.  It  is 
the  same  everywhere.  In  old  Europe,  in  new 
America,  they  are  cherished  and  loved.  This 
it  is  which  makes  the  people  in  all  parts  of  the 
earth  delight  in  it.  The  Eskimo  in  the  north, 
and  the  negro  in  Africa  ;  the  Asiatic  on  the 
distant  Himalaya  mountains,  and  the  Indian  in 
the  forests.  Every  land  and  every  clime,  every 
race  and  every  color  have  shown  the  same  rev- 


7 


erence  observed  in  the  celebration  of  the  Easter 
morning  service  by  the  thousands  gathered  in 
the  beautiful  Moravian  graveyard  in  Salem, 
April  7th,  1901. 

THE  CELEBRATION. 

The  foregoing  introduction  shows  the  import- 
ance of  the  occasion,  but  to  describe  the  service 
is  more  difficult,  because  the  very  simplicity  of 
the  several  meetings  forms  their  strength.  That 
which  is  grand,  but,  at  the  same  time,  simple 
in  form,  must  needs  be  seen  to  be  appreciated. 
Recognizing  these  difficulties  we  approach  our 
task,  taking  the  Salem  congregation  as  the 
type,  and  the  celebration  of  April,  1901,  as  the 
occasion. 

THE  PREPARATION. 

The  season  of  Lent  is  a  preparation  time. 
Lent  with  the  Moravians  is  not  observed  as  a 
time  of  rigid  self-denial,  differing  in  a  marked 
manner  from  the  remaining  portion  of  the  year. 
They  consider  that  what  is  wrong  in  Lent  is 
wrong  through  all  the  year.  What  is  right  in 
September  is  right  in  March,  Still  Lent  is  a 
time  when  special  prayer  is  offered,  and  efforts 
put  forth  which  serve  to  prepare  the  congrega- 
tion for  an  Easter  blessing.    A  special  series  of 


8 


sermons  are  delivered  on  the  Friday  evenings 
of  Lent.  The  Sunday  evenings  are  chosen  for 
topics  bearing  upon  the  sufferings  of  Christ. 
Instruction  in  the  great  doctrines  of  Christian- 
ity are  given  at  various  times  and  places.  These 
seasons  of  instruction  are  not  limited  to  the 
classes  for  confirmation,  but  are  attended  by 
those  who  are  very  young,  often  too  young  for 
church  membership,  as  well  as  by  those  who 
are  advanced  in  years  and  have  long  been 
church  members.  Others  attend  who  do  not 
contemplate  membership  with  the  Moravian 
Church,  for  example,  many  pupils  in  our  schools. 
The  candidates  for  membership  form  the  center 
of  the  group.  At  least  300  persons  were  under 
instruction  in  the  Salem  congregation  during 
the  season  of  Lent,  1901,  of  whom  49  united 
with  the  Church. 

PASSION  WEEK 

begins  eight  days  before  Easter,  and  closes  on 
the  evening  of  Great  Sabbath.  The  services 
consist  chiefly  of  the  reading  of  the  Passion 
Week  Manual,  a  little  book  containing  a  con- 
secutive history  of  the  acts  and  words  of  the 
last  days  of  Jesus  Christ  before  his  death  and 
burial.  The  Manual  was  prepared  from  the 
Harmony  of  the  Gospels,  and  has  been  in  use 
for  many  generations  in  its  present  form. 


9 


SATURDAY  BEFORE  PALM  SUNDAY. 

A  service  for  the  members  of  the  Sunday- 
School  was  held  Saturday  evening.  Many  other 
members  of  the  congregation  were  present.  The 
lessons  covering  the  sufferings  and  death  of  the 
Saviour  were  reviewed,  and  the  music  was  very 
carefully  selected.  All  the  exercises  had  a 
bearing  upon  the  approaching  Passion  Week 
and  Easter  celebration. 

PALM  SUNDAY. 

The  day  dawned  bright  and  clear,  and  made 
the  various  exercises  of  the  day  particularly 
bright  and  happy.  This  is  the  special  occasion 
for  confirmations  and  receptions  to  church  mem- 
bership. In  the  Home  church  the  pulpit  plat- 
form was  profusely  and  beautifully  decorated 
with  palms  of  various  varieties,  and  the  services 
were  solemn  and  impressive.  After  a  brief  but 
earnest  sermon  by  Bishop  Rondthaler,  the  can- 
didates for  church  membership  were  received 
by  confirmation,  by  adult  baptism  and  by  the 
right  hand  of  fellowship. 

In  the  evening  of  Palm  Sunday  the  reading 
of  the  Passion  Week  Manual  is  begun.  In  this 
service  the  account  of  the  triumphal  entry  into 
Jerusalem  is  communicated,  and  the  welcome  of 


IO 

the  hosannas  is  described  both  in  the  reading 
and  in  the  hymns  and  anthems. 

MONDAY,  TUESDAY  AND  WEDNESDAY. 

Each  evening  the  reading  of  the  Passion  Week 
Manual  is  continued.  The  method  pursued  in 
the  services  is  unique,  simple  but  very  impres- 
sive. The  narrative  from  the  harmony  of  the 
Gospels  is  read  without  comment  on  the  part  of 
the  minister,  and  this  reading  of  the  actual 
words  of  Scripture  forms  the  main  portion  ot 
the  service.  At  intervals  careful 'y  selected 
hymns  are  sung  by  the  congregation,  a  small 
printed  programme  guiding  the  members,  so 
that  not  even  the  announcing  ot  the  number  of 
the  hymn  breaks  in  upon  the  reverent  reading 
of  this  '  'sermon  of  Scripture  narrative.' ' 

The  effect  of  this  form  of  service  is  marked, 
upon  children  as  well  as  upon  adults.  Many 
young  people  attend,  and  the  impressions  made 
are  vivid,  the  results  lifelong. 

Thus,  from  evening  to  evening,  the  story  of 
the  Saviour's  last  words  and  works  of  loving 
ministry  is  impressed  upon  the  hearers'  hearts. 
The  voices  of  young  and  old  join  in  the  beau- 
tiful chorals,  which  express  the  Church's  faith 
and  love  with  regard  to  the  dear  Redeemer. 
In  this  solemn  yet  simple  way  the  interest 


deepens  towards  the  celebration  of  what  is 
r    called  the  Maundy  Thursday  of  Holy  Week. 

MAUNDY  THURSDAY. 

The  idea  of  this  day  is  directly  set  forth  by 
the  meaning  of  the  word  itself,  the  observance 
of  the  Passover.  All  is  centered  around  the 
celebration  of  that  feast,  at  which  time  the  Holy 
Communion  was  instituted,  the  most  sacred  of 
all  the  Christian  services.  There  are  three 
meetings  on  Thursday. 

At  half-past  two  o'clock  the  account  of  the 
institution  of  the  Lord's  Supper  is  read,  and 
also  the  high  priestly  prayer. 

At  four  o'clock  the  description  ot  the  agony 
in  the  garden  of  Gethsemane  and  the  betrayal 
by  Judas,  followed  by  the  arrest  of  the  Saviour. 

In  the  evening  the  Maundy  Thursday  Com- 
munion is  celebrated,  this  usually  being  one  of 
the  most  largely  attended  communions  of  the 
year,  and,  certainly,  one  of  the  most  solemn. 

GOOD  FRIDAY. 

In  Salem  an  early  morning  communion  is 
celebrated  for  those  who  were  prevented  from 
attending  the  previous  evening. 

There  are  three  other  services  on  Good  Fri- 
day.   In  the  morning,  the  narrative  of  the  trial 


12 


of  Jesus  before  Pontius  Pilate  is  read.  The 
account  shows  the  patient  prisoner  in  the  judg- 
ment hall  ;  the  terrible  scourging  ;  the  cruel 
crown  of  thorns  ;  the  mockery  ;  the  final  con- 
demnation to  death  by  crucifixion. 

The  afternoon  meeting  is  at  the  exact  time  of 
day  when  the  Redeemer  died,  and  this  is  the 
most  solemn  of  the  services  of  Passion  Week. 
The  very  tragedy  seems  to  be  in  actual  enact- 
ment as  the  account  proceeds,  and  when  the 
words  uttered  by  Jesus,  when  hanging  upon  the 
cross  are  read,  they  impress  the  hearer  with 
peculiar  power.  Reverently  the  congregation 
kneels  in  silent  prayer  after  the  words,  "Father, 
into  thy  hands  I  commend  my  spirit,  and  hav- 
ing said  thus  he  bowed  his  head  and  gave  up 
the  ghost." 

At  night  the  account  of  the  burial  is  read, 
and  with  the  continuation  of  the  same  solemn 
and  impressive  music  which  has  thus  far  accom- 
panied the  reading,  the  services  of  Good  Friday 
are  closed.  This  day  is  the  one  which  stands 
in  strong  contrast  to  Easter  Sunday,  the  one  is 
pathetic,  the  other  all  brightness  and  joy. 

GREAT  SABBATH. 

The  only  service  which  is  held  on  Saturday, 
or  as  it  is  termed  on  the  Church  Calendar, 


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13 


"  Great  Sabbath,  "  is  the  afternoon  lovefeast. 
This  service,  a  revival  of  the  '  ■  Agapae"  of  the 
early  church,  is  always  attended  by  a  very  large 
congregation  and  the  music  is  a  special  feature. 
The  hymns  used  are  of  such  a  nature  that  the 
mind  is  carried  back  to  the  sufferings  of  the 
preceding  days  and  forward  in  the  anticipation 
of  the  resurrection. 

EASTER  SUNDAY. 

With  the  advent  of  Easter  itself  everything 
changes.  Already  before  the  first  appearance 
of  dawn  musicians  have  visited  the  various  por- 
tions of  the  towns  and  discoursed  melodies 
which  breathe  the  Easter  spirit. 

Later,  the  church  bell  is  rung,  and  in  the 
very  early  morning  the  large  concourse  of  peo- 
ple begins  to  gather  in  front  of  the  church.  At 
half-past  five  o'clock  the  doors  of  the  church 
are  thrown  open,  and  the  Bishop  takes  his 
place  on  the  front  steps  greeting  the  multitude 
with  the  words  : 

"  The  Lord  is  risen. 
The  Lord  is  risen  indeed" 

He  then  reads  the  first  portion  of  the  Easter 
Litany,  in  which  the  congregation  joins  by  res- 
ponses and  by  the  singing  of  appropriate  hymns. 


14 

The  procession  moves  from  the  church  to  the 
graveyard,  through  the  avenue  of  giant  cedars. 
The  numbers  are  large,  there  being  usually  from 
3000  to  5000  persons  present.  The  company 
of  musicians  is  divided  into  two  sections,  and  as 
the  vast  but  orderly  procession  proceeds  from 
the  church  to  the  graveyard,  these  two  compa- 
nies discourse  sacred  music.  One  of  the  inter- 
esting features  is  the  antiphonal  nature  of  the 
music.  The  first  division  plays  the  first  line  of 
the  choral,  the  second  company  promptly  res- 
ponding by  playing  the  second  line,  and  even 
though  these  companies  are  separated  by  a  pro- 
cession consisting  of  a  thousand  people,  the 
rendering  of  this  sweet  music  is  as  exact  as  if 
the  musicians  stood  side  by  side. 

Thus  they  proceed,  young  and  old  alike  in- 
terested, and  reverently  they  arrange  themselves 
in  open  squares  as  the  formation  within  the 
sacred  grounds.  When  all  have  been  placed  in 
their  positions,  absolute  quiet  ensues  as  the  man 
of  God  again  raises  his  voice  in  the  praying  of 
the  Litany  or  confession  of  faith,  and  the  con- 
gregation joins  in  the  hymns  selected  for  this 
particular  service.  The  words  of  the  confession 
clearly  describe  the  real  idea  of  the  service  on 
the  graveyard.  The  early  hour  is  selected  be- 
cause Jesus  rose  early  on  Easter  Sunday  morn- 


15 


ing.  The  place  is  selected  because  as  Jesus' 
body  rested  in  the  tomb,so  these  graves  contain 
the  bodies  of  loved  ones.  The  day  is  chosen 
because  it  is  the  resurrection  day,  and  the  con- 
gregation confesses  its  faith  in  the  resurrection 
of  the  bodies  of  the  Christian  dead,  and  belief 
in  the  resurrection  of  our  bodies  when  we 
have  gone  to  our  own  rest  in  the  silent  tomb. 
The  following  words  from  the  Easter  Litany  will 
illustrate  the  spirit  of  the  entire  confession  : 

"  I  have  a  desire  to  depart,  and  to  be  with  Christ, 
which  is  far  better ;  I  shall  never  taste  death  ;  yea,  I 
>  shall  attain  unto  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  :  for  the 
1  body  which  I  shall  put  off,  this  grain  of  corruptibility, 
shall  put  on  incorruption  ;  my  flesh  shall  rest  in  hope* 

"And  the  God  of  peace,  that  brought  again  from 
the  dead  our  Lord  Jesus,  that  great  Shepherd  of  the 
sheep,  through  the  blood  of  the  everlasting  covenant, 
shall  also  quicken  these  our  mortal  bodies,  if  so  be 
that  the  Spirit  of  God  hath  dwelt  in  them. 

"  And  keep  us  in  everlasting  fellowship  with  those 
of  our  brethren  and  sisters  who,  since  last  Easter- 
day,  have  entered  into  the  joy  of  their  Lord,  and 
with  the  whole  church  triumphant,  and  let  us  rest 
together  in  thy  presence  from  our  labors." 

After  the  service  many  remain  to  enjoy  the 
beautiful  flowers  which  the  hands  of  affection 
have  placed  on  the  graves  of  loved  ones. 

By  this  time  the  sun  has  risen  above  the  hori- 
zon, and  everything  is  bathed  in  his  glorious 
light, — the  great  cedars  of  a  century's  growth  ; 
the  fresh  green  sward  of  early  spring  ;  the  flower 
decked  graves  with  their  spotless  tombstones  ; 
everything  is  bright  and  happy  and  speaks  the 
joys  of  Easter  day. 


i6 


The  service  at  n  o'clock  is  always  parti' 
larly  instructive  and  inspiring.  The  sermon 
looked  forward  to  by  the  Christian  hearers 
one  which  brings  out  the  brightest  truths  of  c 
religion.  The  attendance  is  very  large,  the 
decorations  elaborate,  and  the  music,  both  vo 
and  instrumental,  inspiring. 

During  the  afternoon  of  Easter  Day,  if  th; 
weather  is  bright  and  clear,  thousands  of  frien  eta 
visit  the  graveyard  to  enjoy  the  scene,  brig 
with  the  floral  decorations,  and  to  admire  th 
neatly  kept  grounds.    The  avenue  and  grav 
yard  are  always  beautiful,  but  never  more 
than  at  Easter. 

In  the  evening  service  the  reading  of  the 
Manual  is  concluded,  the  account  of  the  resur- 
rection being  communicated.  With  a  few  earn- 
est wrords  from  the  pastor,  and  with  a  number 
of  appropriate  hymns  the  Passion  Week  ai 
Easter  services  are  ended. 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  number  of  vi;  i 
tors  seems  rather  to  increase  than  otherwif 
And  it  is  also  worthy  of  mention  that  the  spi 
of  reverence  for  the  occasion  is  very  deep  an  J 
earnest.    This  is  true  of  all  the  services.    Wi  b 
the  increase  of  reverence  the  interest  in  t 
celebration  of  Easter  increases  as  the  years  pas.. 
The  joys  of  early  spring  unite  with  the  joys  eg 
the  resurrection  hope,  and  it  is  the  desire  of 
every  believer  that  the  celebration  of  Easter 
may  continue  to  be  an  influence  to  open  wTi« 
the  door  which  reveals  the  resurrection  faith  to 
all  who  love  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  sincerity. 


